SynthesisEuropean journal of applied physiology2022
Analysis of sex-based differences in energy substrate utilization during moderate-intensity aerobic exercise.
Synthesis in European journal of applied physiology, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. An erratum has been issued. Cited by 51 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
51 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Menstrual cycle hormones and oral contraceptives: a multimethod systems physiology-based review of their impact on key aspects of female physiology.Journal of applied physiology (Bethesda, Md. : 1985) · 2023Pooled it
- Pooled it
- Acute systemic and energy metabolism responses to velocity-based resistance training following an oral glucose load in individuals with excess body weight.Experimental physiology · 2026Trial
- The effect of regular exercise on general and mental fatigue and motivation during pregnancy: a randomized controlled trial.BMC pregnancy and childbirth · 2026Trial
- Moderate-intensity exercise training uniquely modulates circulating lipid species beyond classical lipid levels in humans.EBioMedicine · 2025Trial
- The OMNIVEG Study: Effects of Transitioning from a Traditional to a Vegan Mediterranean Diet on Fat Oxidation During Exercise.Nutrients · 2025Trial
- Effects of exercise on whole-blood transcriptome profile in children with overweight/obesity.American journal of human biology : the official journal of the Human Biology Council · 2024Trial
- The impact of physical activity and exercise timing on metabolic health among individuals at high risk of type 2 diabetes.Diabetologia · 2026Review
- Biomarkers Identify Distinct Biological Signatures of Eccentric Hypertrophy in Elite Athletes: A Sex-Specific Analysis.Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania) · 2026Article
- Sex differences in marathon pacing: analysis of 873,000 Berlin marathon runners reveals men are twice as likely to "hit the wall".Scientific reports · 2026Article
- Female endurance athletes show a reduced plasma cell-free DNA response to all-out and 3-h cycling compared to male counterparts.Physiological reports · 2026Article
- Sex-dependent differences in mitochondrial protein acetylation in metabolic condition, oxidative stress, vascular dysfunction, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease.Clinical science (London, England : 1979) · 2026Review
- Sex-Specific Responses to Intermittent Fasting: A Narrative Review Across Physiological, Clinical, and Psychosocial Contexts.Nutrients · 2026Review
- Gender-specific associations of diet quality and dietary patterns with metabolic syndrome: evidence from Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) VI.Nutrition & metabolism · 2026Article
- Article
- Quantitative Analysis of Annual Training Volume and Periodization Patterns in Elite Female Cross-Country Skiers Using GPS Monitoring: A Three-Athlete Case Study.Bioengineering (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Comparative effects of a glucose-fructose bar, glucose-fructose hydrogel and maltodextrin gel on carbohydrate oxidation and sprint performance in Tier 2 athletes.Experimental physiology · 2026Article
- Molecular Transducers of Physical Activity Consortium (MoTrPAC): Initial Insights into the Dynamic Human Responses to Exercise.bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology · 2026Article
- Sex-specific longitudinal associations between repeatedly measured movement behaviours and adiposity measures in school-aged children: a compositional data analysis approach.International journal of obesity (2005) · 2026Article
- No sex differences in fat oxidation in response to exercise prescribed according to maximal heart rate or ventilatory threshold.European journal of applied physiology · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
- Erratum issued
Authors and funding
7 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
purposeTo explore sex-based differences in energy substrate utilization during moderate-intensity aerobic exercise; to identify the underpinning candidate physiological mechanisms.
methodsThree databases were searched from inception to August 2020. Pertinent studies quantifying the utilization of substrates during moderate aerobic exercise in healthy men and reproductive-age women were considered. Studies conducted on sedentary/recreationally active and athletic populations were included and analyzed separately.
resultsThirty-five studies entered the meta-analysis (21 in sedentary/recreationally active, 14 in athletic populations). Compared to women, the respiratory exchange ratio was significantly higher both in sedentary (mean difference, MD: + 0.03; p < 0.00001) and athletic men (MD: + 0.02; p < 0.0001). Greater carbohydrate oxidation was observed both in sedentary (standardized MD, SMD: 0.53; p = 0.006) and athletic men (SMD: 1.24; p < 0.00001). Regarding lipid substrates, sedentary men oxidized less fat than women (SMD: - 0.77; p = 0.0002), while no sex-based differences in fat oxidation were observed in athletes (SMD: 0.06; p = 0.77). Paucity of data prevented robust meta-analyses for protein sources. Sex hormones and different adrenergic activation were the most cited mechanisms to discuss sex-based differences.
conclusionsMeta-analyses confirmed that men display greater reliance on carbohydrates while women rely more on lipids to sustain moderate aerobic exercise. The latter finding was not confirmed in athletes, a novel aspect of the present study. Mechanistically driven research is needed to further dissect the physiological underpinnings of sex differences in substrate utilization during aerobic exercise, especially for proteins, which are still less investigated than other substrates.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.